


My Home is With You

by Braincoins



Series: Shallura Holiday Month 2017 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, SHM 2017, Shallura Holiday Month, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 14:24:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12913770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braincoins/pseuds/Braincoins
Summary: Shiro & Allura share memories (good and bad).Edit: I had to change the title because I forgot I already have a fic called "Home." This is what happens when you rush to get things done.





	My Home is With You

**Author's Note:**

> This has nothing to do with "Marvelous"; sorry. This "series" is an anthology series, of sorts, not a continuous story or universe.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks to [Rov](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoulsikeep/pseuds/alteanrituals) for the discussion on the Alteans being "aliens" everywhere now.  
> =========================

            “What are you thinking about?” she asked him. Shiro was quiet, staring out into nothingness as he stood in the observation deck. Allura worried that what she thought of as his Darkness was coming back. When he was awake, it crept in stealthily, snuck up on him; it was only in the dark, in his sleep, that it lunged for him. She was trying to get better at intercepting it when she could.

            He shrugged. “Memories.”

            That didn’t give her much to work with. “Good ones or bad ones?”

            He turned to her and smiled – not one of his tight, fake smiles, either, though she’d certainly seen him happier. “Mostly good. I was thinking about the Garrison.” He returned his gaze to the viewscreens.

            “I was so happy when I got in, and even happier to be there. One step closer to my dream of going into space. And I _was_ glad to be pursuing that goal, but that wasn’t the best part of being there.”

            “Oh? What was then?” She was pleased that he didn’t seem to be falling prey to the Darkness.

            “The camaraderie. The friendship. I was an only child. I had friends, but I also was working and studying hard so I could get into the Garrison, so I didn’t hang out as much. My friends didn’t really understand. They supported me, but they didn’t _get it_.

            “Everyone at the Garrison got it. They got me, because they were all there for the same reason: the thrill of exploring outer space. We had each other’s backs, and… it was like I suddenly had a huge amount of siblings, you know?” He smiled at her again, and this one was happier. “It was the first time I understood what it was to be on a team. Not just a temporary ‘team up for gym class sports’ team; a real, true, permanent team. And I knew I’d do anything for them, just like they’d do anything for me.”

            She returned his smile. “That sense of unity, that commonality of purpose.” She nodded. “Yes, I understand. Altea was like that, when I was growing up, back before the war. We were a unified people working towards the goal of peace and stability for the universe. We wanted to help others, to improve their lives, to end wars. We were so hopeful, so determined. And when one of us stumbled, the others would be there to help them back up again. Because we were going on together, as one.” She took his left hand and squeezed it.

            He squeezed back, but then his smile faded. He looked back out to the space surrounding them. “But then, when I went back… I was trying to warn them, and they wouldn’t listen. I mean, I guess I can’t blame them, but it still hurts. I was home, really _home_ , but they treated me like…” He raised his right hand and looked down at it. “…like an alien.” He balled his hand up into a fist and let it drop to his side.

            “Oh, Shiro.” She rubbed his arm with her free hand. “I’m so sorry. They shouldn’t have.”

            “They had to. I understand, really.” He fell quiet.

            The word ‘alien’ rattled around in her brain as she held Shiro’s hand and stroked his arm. “I guess we’re all aliens now. You, the other paladins, Coran and I.”

            “You’re not…”

            “We are. Where is our homeworld? Everywhere we go in the universe, we are aliens. And that’s not always so bad, but it’s also a little… disorienting.”

            “‘Alienating’?” he suggested. She whapped him lightly on the arm for that. “Well, you do have a home. Here, with us.”

            “With you,” she specified. She dropped his hand.

            He turned to her, clearly on the same wavelength. They wrapped their arms around each other at the same time.

            Her voice was muffled by his chest as she said, “And your home will always be with me, for as long as you want that.”

            He turned his face into her hair, kissing her head and murmuring soft thanks. They enjoyed a long embrace, holding tight to each other and the only home they had left.


End file.
